“It is?” she asked. “You bought this? You’re paying for service?”
“I found it,” he said.
“Where?”
“In the men’s restroom,” he answered.
“Which men’s restroom?”
“Why does it matter? If they wanted the phone, they shouldn’t have left it lying around.” She’d heard those words before—from Jesse.
“And the jewelry? The money?” she asked. “The video game?”
“Eli gave the video game to me,” he said. “You can call and ask him.”
“I will,” she assured him. “What about the jewelry and the money? Shawn, you know this stuff isn’t yours. You know it’s wrong, it’s illegal to take things that don’t belong to you.”
He shrugged. “You never got worked up about it before.”
“I didn’t, you’re right.” She shook her head. “And you know why. We didn’t have a choice then. And I let you do things I should never, ever have let you do. I was scared, I guess. He hurt me, Shawn, he tried to hurt you, too. Don’t you remember that?” She paused, swallowing the panic that threatened to choke her. “Why would you call him? Do you miss it?”
He stared at her, his face set.
“You’ve got to talk to me, Shawn,” she pleaded. “I thought you were happy here. What about the horses and camp? Fisher and Eli and Cutter?”
“I am.” Shawn shrugged. “But it feels wrong. I feel lazy not helping you get money—like you are doing al
l the work. You work so hard but you don’t make much, you know? I wanted to help.” There was anger on his face. “Jesse always gave me things to do, to help out.”
“Jesse gave you things to do to make him money.” She stood. “You’re twelve. You have every right to enjoy being a kid. I want you to. That’s what you’re supposed to do. Not this.” She held up the phone. “This has to stop.” She swallowed, the fear creeping in on her. “Did you tell him where we are?”
Shawn’s expression fell then. He nodded.
She sat on the couch, covering her face with her hands. No. No. This couldn’t be happening. If he was coming to Stonewall Crossing, they had no choice. She couldn’t go back. And she couldn’t bear to have Jesse here—to have everything good and special about Stonewall Crossing tainted. “Get your things together,” she murmured.
“Kylee, no,” he argued. “I don’t want to go.”
“I don’t, either, Shawn. But I don’t want Jesse to hurt anyone here—to get even with me.” Too many awful images filled her mind. She’d let herself care about people here. And put them in danger.
“He just wants us back,” Shawn said. “I told him we weren’t coming back.”
She glanced at Shawn then. “What did he say?”
Shawn shook his head.
“Shawn?”
“He said he’d find us when he wanted to.”
She stood. “We’re taking all these things back, Shawn. All of them. Including Eli’s game.”
He nodded. “Are you mad?”
She stared at her little brother. “I’m sad, Shawn. I understand why you did this but...but I can’t get you out of trouble with the law or protect you when you break the law. Do you understand? The way we lived was bad, Shawn. You know that, don’t you?” She waited for his nod. “If it hadn’t been for Jesse...” She shook her head. “I wish I’d gotten you out of there earlier. I wish you didn’t know and do and see all of...that. I’m sorry, Shawn, for putting you through that. But you have to know, after being here, that what we did was wrong?”
He nodded. “I’m sorry.”
“Hurry up. I want to wash everything before we leave.” She filled both pillowcases with clothes.